Fidelity Bank Plc has posted a robust first quarter performance for 2026, recording a sharp rise in earnings and profitability as the lender deepened its market share across core banking operations.
The bank’s unaudited results for the three months ended March 31, 2026, showed gross earnings climbed by 37.9 per cent to N434.95 billion, compared with N315.42 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
The impressive earnings growth was driven largely by sustained expansion in interest income, which rose by 22.8 per cent from N256.10 billion in first quarter 2025 to N314.48 billion in the review period.
Net interest income settled at N180.97 billion, reflecting the bank’s growing ability to optimise returns from its expanding loan book and investment portfolio amid prevailing market conditions.
Profit before tax stood at N92.48 billion, while profit after tax closed at N74.47 billion, underlining the bank’s resilient earnings capacity and improving operational efficiency.
Earnings per share remained solid at N5.69, reinforcing investor confidence in the bank’s long term value creation strategy and shareholder return outlook.
The bank’s balance sheet also recorded significant expansion during the quarter as total assets crossed the N11 trillion threshold to N11.35 trillion by March 2026, up from N10.46 trillion at the close of December 2025.
Customer deposits rose strongly from N6.89 trillion to N7.38 trillion within the three month period, a development analysts said reflected sustained customer confidence and stronger franchise penetration.
Shareholders’ funds also strengthened considerably, with total equity increasing by 27.5 per cent from N1.09 trillion in December 2025 to N1.39 trillion by the end of first quarter 2026.
Industry observers noted that the latest results further consolidated the lender’s earnings momentum following the successful completion of its recapitalisation programme in 2025.
The bank had earlier delivered an impressive full year performance for 2025, with gross earnings rising by 45.6 per cent from N1.04 trillion in 2024 to N1.52 trillion.
Interest and similar income grew by 38.7 per cent to N1.11 trillion in 2025, while fees and commission income advanced by 44.7 per cent from N78.4 billion to N113.4 billion.
Net profit after tax for the 2025 financial year stood at N242.4 billion, further reinforcing the bank’s position among Nigeria’s fast growing tier one financial institutions.
Total assets increased by 18.6 per cent to N10.46 trillion in 2025, while customer deposits climbed from N5.94 trillion to N6.89 trillion, reflecting stronger liquidity and improved funding structure.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said the first quarter performance demonstrated the resilience of the bank’s business model and the effectiveness of its growth strategy. She stated that the success of the recapitalisation exercise had positioned the bank for a new phase of expansion, stronger earnings and sustained value delivery to shareholders.